notice

A written message that gives people information or a warning.

• Please read the notice.
• They put a notice on the door.
• The notice says the pool is closed.

How to use it: a notice about something (There is a notice about the meeting on the door.)

Similar words: announcement, sign

Common phrases: read a notice, put up a notice, public notice, printed notice

Attention paid to someone or something, or awareness that something is there.

• He took no notice of me.
• The change escaped her notice.
• His unusual clothes attracted everyone's notice.

How to use it: take notice of someone/something (Please take notice of the warning.); bring something to someone's notice (She brought the error to my notice.)

Similar words: attention, awareness

Common phrases: take notice, take no notice, escape someone's notice

Information given before something happens so that people can prepare.

• The shop closed without notice.
• Please give us more notice next time.
• They canceled the meeting at short notice.

How to use it: give someone notice of something (They gave us notice of the planned closure.); at short notice (We had to leave at short notice.)

Similar words: warning, notification

Common phrases: advance notice, short notice, without notice

A formal warning that an employee will leave or lose their job after a stated period.

• I handed in my notice today.
• He gave his employer two weeks' notice.
• She is working her notice before starting another job.

How to use it: give someone a period's notice (The company gave him a month's notice.); hand in your notice (She handed in her notice on Friday.)

Common phrases: give notice, hand in notice, work your notice

To see, hear, or become aware of someone or something.

• Did you notice my new shoes?
• She noticed a mistake in the letter.
• I hadn't noticed that it was raining.

How to use it: notice that… (I noticed that the door was open.); notice someone/something doing something (She noticed a bird building a nest.); notice someone/something do something (He noticed her leave the room.)

Similar words: spot, observe, see

Opposites: overlook, miss

Common phrases: notice a difference, notice something strange, notice someone